The Beginner's Guide To Upcycling

It is the planet and purse-friendly way to give your furniture a glow-up, but how can you avoid any DIY disasters? Read on...

- Charlotte Thompson

WHAT IS IT?

Upcycling is all about taking something old, restoring it, and giving it a good glow-up, so it looks as good as new—or even better. You can do it with pretty much anything, including old clothes, but the practice is having a real ‘moment’ in the world of interiors. A lot of the vintage-style furniture you see on your favourite influencers’ accounts is likely to be the result of an upcycling project.

NAIL THE BASICS

Upcyling is not as simple as it looks—diving in without doing your prep leaves you open to making a mess of it. So do your research first—with a bit of knowledge and a few tools in your tank, you will be turning your tat into treasure easy-peasy.

PICK YOUR PROJECT

You can upcycle literally anything. Chairs can be reupholstered with fresh fabrics, and furniture can be painted in modern colours, or even have pieces cut off to create something new entirely. The key with furniture is to choose pieces that still have a sturdy structure. UK-based DIY influencer and YouTube’s queen of upcycling, Hermione Chantal, says her current favourite things to restore feature smooth lines and an interesting structure. “Think large vases and lamps that may look a little ugly on the surface, but can be easily made over with a few coats of spray paint,” she says.